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BARTENDER'S
SPIRITS EXPLAINED, by George Delgado |
APPLE BRANDY
by George Delgado |
 There a few things finer than autumn in America, and autumn is the season of the apple. You can’t get more American than apple picking, apple pies, and apple brandy...apple brandy? Yes! Not only is apple brandy produced in the U.S.A., but it is also significantly interwoven in American history. Best of all, today we don’t have to look to Europe for top quality. So what is apple brandy and what makes it so good?
In the autumn the apples are harvested and pressed. The juice undergoes fermentation resulting in alcohol. We now have cider. (When apple cider is considered cider, this fermented cider is considered hard cider.) This cider will now undergo distillation, which separates the alcohol from the juice. This alcohol can now be called apple brandy, or Calvados, or applejack, cider brandy, cider spirits, even apple whiskey. Calvados is made in France; Applejack is the American version.
I will concede that the best apple distillate comes from the Normandy province in France. This spirit is world renowned, and the best Calvados comes from the Pays d’Auge growing district. If there were a worldwide race for apple brandy quality, Calvados would be the hare, seemingly running away with it. But beware Calvados, not to rest on your laurels because American apple brandy is the tortoise that is forging ahead. Applejack production has come a long way since the days of freezing hard cider. Since water freezes before alcohol, the forming slush would be skimmed away leaving virtually pure alcohol. You can image why applejack picked up nicknames along the way like Jersey Lightening. Today, however, there are several U.S. houses producing exceptional apple spirits. Clear Creek distillery in Portland, Oregon is doing great things with all of their Eau di Vies, but their apple brandy is one not to be missed this autumn. It’s called Eau de Vie de Pomme; it is aged 8 years in French Limousin oak (the same barrels used to age Cognac and Calvados). Keep in mind when tasting apple brandies, the younger ones (less aged) will have more apple notes in the aroma and taste, but may have a little more bite to them. The older brandies may have slightly less apple notes, but they take on the vanilla and spice notes of the barrel. The apples used to produce Clear Creek Eau de Vie de Pomme are the Golden Delicious apples from our great American northwest. If this isn’t “American Calvados,” then nothing is.
Now let’s go to the east coast where America was born, where applejack has been produced for over 300 years-Laird’s Applejack in particular. The much-chagrined English and Dutch settlers learned early on that New England was not always conducive to growing grains and grapes. Their customary ales, whiskies, wines and brandies would have to subside to cider and applejack because they wisely turned to the winter-resistant apple tree. One of these settlers was a Scotsman named William Laird who started producing his applejack as early as 1698 in Monmouth County, New Jersey. It wasn’t until 1780 that Laird’s was established as a commercial distillery. Laird’s Applejack survived the Revolution, the Triangle Trade - which further proliferated the ubiquity of rum; it survived the emergence of Bourbon as the indigenous distilled spirit of the U.S. and remarkably, survived prohibition. Today, Laird’s and Company is not only surviving, but forging ahead with products like Laird’s 12 Year Rare Old Apple Brandy. Made from 100% apple distillate, this brandy is bottled at 88 proof - but not until it has “ripened” for a minimum of 12 years in oak. This is just one reason why and how one family business can last for hundreds of years. Laird’s Applejack is not just tied into American brandy; it’s tied into American history.
The Clear Creek Apple Brandy and the Laird’s 12 Year Rare Apple Brandy are 2 great choices for the change in season. So this fall, treat your bar and your guests to a taste of American autumn.
Here is a drink that I created at Windows on the World for the autumn months. (This was before the green sour thing became trendy.)
THE CRAN-APPLE COCKTAIL
1 1/2 oz. Laird’s blended Applejack
1/2 oz. Apple Berentzen
1/2 oz. Apple Juice
1 1/2 oz. Cranberry Juice
Shaken with ice and strained into a pre-chilled martini glass.
Garnish with a slice of green apple..
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